The thread that ties hearts
by toobeauty
Summary: Hephaestion sees red threads connecting people but he cannot see his until he meets him ...
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: _The thread that ties hearts. (1/2)_

PAIRING: Hephaestion and Alexander and many OCCS.

RATING: R

CATEGORY: AU.

DISCLAMER: I don't know the people involved, no harm intended, everything is product of my imagination, but I wouldn't mind sharing my life with the blue eyed god.

NO BETA so all mistakes are mine.

FEEDBACK: comments are love! Yes, please any kind of them will help me to improve my writing or leave it forever.

Author's note: The story is barely based on a traditional Chinese or Japanese legend (it depends on the sources) with some changes to fix their universe. The whole legend will be explained in the second part.

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Hephaestion had been special since the day he was born. His parents did never expect him as his mother was a woman of an advanced age for bearing more children, however they were truly happy with his birth, especially because their elder children were no longer living in the family house.

His mother called Hephaestion "the gods' gift" and whenever she was asked why she thought that she simply asked people to look at his son's eyes and they would have the answer. Hephaestion's eyes were a jewel on their own; their colour was so unique that no one could give a name or say what the exact hue was. But even though it was a strange colour, it was the depth of his look that called people's attention; it was an old look in such young eyes and his mother affirmed that she could clearly see a storm brew in them when he was upset; but also they were very calm and deep blue pools when he was tranquil. His mother said that it was as if the very same Poseidon had set two of his most beautiful waves in his orbits. She also added that the first time she said that aloud, she heard a deep and happy laughter in her ear, as if the god of the seas were confirming her suspicion.

Little Hephaestion grew being a lively baby and a very curious one. When he learnt how to walk on his own, he used to follow her mother everywhere she went and when she stopped, he used to play with her hands; it seemed that the little Amyntoros had an obsession with his mother's hands and sometimes she used to bat his fingers away telling him that her hands were not always clean enough for him to touch them, especially because she spent many hours working in the garden. But no matter how many times she told Hephaestion that, he continued doing it.

The little boy with eyes as precious as sapphires was nearly two years old and he continued with that annoying habit. One day, his parents were sitting in the front garden, resting after a long day working on the farm, when Hephaestion ran towards them and touched his mother's right hand, he then followed an invisible line towards his father's left hand. He repeated the action many times and a wide smile appeared on his face while he clapped with his still chubby little hands.

"Stop doing that Hephaestion, it is annoying" his mother said, a bit annoyed because she could not understand why her always obedient baby could not follow such a simple rule.

"Tred" he said and frowned so he tried again "Thread" and now he was happy because the difficult word had been pronounced correctly.

"What thread, son?" his father asked, looking downwards to their hands.

"Red thread, papa" Hephaestion insisted again.

"There is no thread, Phai" the man with an endless patience said.

"Yes, look, mama hand to papa hand" the blue-eyed boy replied.

"No, son, there is no thread between our hands" the father insisted again.

"Yes, look" Hephaestion said upset because the adults could not see the red thread and in consequence they could not believe him.

"There is nothing and stop doing that, you are just tired after running after your puppies all day long and so you are seeing things that do not exist" his upset mother said scooping him up in her arms and taking him to his bed for a forced nap.

Hephaestion stopped speaking about the red thread but that did not imply that he did not see it, in fact he kept seeing it not only in his parents but also in other people.

Once when his elder sister, her husband and their daughter came to visit them, Hephaestion saw the red thread between his sister and her husband and a very short thread from his ten-year-old niece's right hand.

Hephaestion went towards his mother and told her:

"Look mama, red thread" pointing at his sister and brother-in-law's hands.

"There is no thread, Hephaestion" the poor woman did no longer sound upset but extremely resigned.

"What thread, little brother?" his sister asked whispering so he could tell her his secret.

"Red thread from your hand to your husband's hand" the four autumn boy explained to his sister.

"There is nothing there, Phai. Please, can you stop saying those strange things because mama gets worried" she whispered back trying to explain the consequence of his weird behaviour.

Their mother had already told her about Hephaestion and his insistence with the red thread and how that made her worry thinking that maybe her "little gift" was hallucinating or worse, losing his mind.

When his sister explained how their mother was really feeling whenever he mentioned that red thread thing, Hephaestion started to keep the red thread sightings for himself and he never mentioned it again.

However, he was worried; he had seen many threads between couples, also between male and female couples, and even every child had, at least, a very short one. But in his case, no matter how many times a day he looked at his hands, there was not even the slightest trace of the thread.

One day, two years later, his father was summoned to the palace, he had to go and see king Philip because he would depart on a very important diplomatic mission the following spring and the king could only trust in his abilities to sort out the situation quickly and peacefully.

Hephaestion, being six years old, asked his father if he could go with him; the former General and warrior, now turned into a diplomat, agreed to his wish because it was time for the king to meet his youngest offspring.

Both Amyntoros departed towards the palace very early in the morning, they got there just in time for the morning meal that they shared with the king in one of his private chambers.

King Philip was amazed at Hephaestion's knowledge and good manners, especially because the boy had never been to school, only been taught by his parents at home.

While they were eating, an idea started to form in the royal mind; his ever-moving son could do with a calm boy of his age by his side; both boys could learn from each other and both of them together could learn from Aristotle. The king told his idea to his diplomat and the man, truly honoured, accepted it right away and gladly because his family would go on serving under the Macedonian king. The only disadvantage was that their boy would grow up a bit far away from home but he knew that they would find the way to keep in contact and to visit regularly.

As soon as Hephaestion heard the news, he felt a searing pain his right little finger, he looked at his hand but there was nothing there. However, when breakfast was over and they were taken to a chamber so they could rest after such a long trip, little Hephaestion looked at his hand again and discovered the tip of the red thread appearing and a big smile crowned his already handsome face.

Seeing the smile on his son's face, the diplomat asked:

"Why are you smiling, son?"

"Because I saw the red … ladybug" he replied, changing his real answer in the moment so his father did not get upset.

Amyntoros looked at him, hardly believing his answer, but he did not want to go on asking further.

At lunchtime, a young page knocked at their chamber door to tell them that prince Alexander had invited young Hephaestion to have lunch with him and some of his companions. Hephaestion timidly followed the page and he was led towards a secluded garden; five boys were already talking there but Hephaestion saw only one of them, a short blond boy with two-coloured eyes that made his right little finger beat repeatedly.

"Please, come over here and tell us who you are" the blond boy told him.

Hephaestion walked towards him and as he was advancing, he could see his red thread growing and, with a snaking movement, heading towards the red thread coming from the prince's left hand.

Seeing that, he became so nervous that he stuttered his first words.

"I am … I am Hephaestion, son of General Amyntoros, my prince"

"Joy to you, Hephaestion, and how did you know I was the prince?" the blond boy asked curiously but, at the same time, trying to make the boy feel more comfortable.

"Because my father was here when you were born and then he told me that you had the most amazing eyes he had ever seen" Hephaestion said in a rush, blushing slightly when he realized what he had said in loud voice and feeling a bit angry at his own stupidity.

"Well, your eyes are quite amazing too, I can see a storm brewing in them right now" Alexander said approaching in order to have a better look at them.

Hephaestion got really agitated, both threads were very near, almost touching when a high pitched voice, full of venom, asked:

"Is your girlfriend coming to your sister's wedding, Alexander?" Cassander's voice resounded in the garden.

"I think she is" Alexander replied but his voice sounded a bit upset.

And Hephaestion saw with horror how both threads retreated to their own hands until his own disappeared completely, not even the tiniest trace of it remained.

Hephaestion sat far away from the prince, with a pained expression in his face, and remained quiet for a while. Sighing deeply, he decided to take part in the conversation, paying extremely attention not to cross gazes with the prince.

The annoying boy kept silent after his rude interruption but a constant smirk took place in his face while he kept watching from one boy to the other. He did not need another newcomer fawning over his Alexander; the prince would be his and he would also take care of that upstart princess soon.

Two days later, a very sad Hephaestion returned to his house and no one could understand why the boy was feeling so blue.

_**How could he tell them that he had seen a glimpse of immortality in his growing love for a golden prince? **_

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Six months later, Hephaestion went back to the Palace because they would depart for Mieza where he would share classes with Alexander under Aristotle's guidance.

The blue eyed boy was not so thrilled to do it, especially after how his previous visit had ended: him avoiding the prince and Alexander trying to catch his attention.

As soon as they arrived, Alexander ran towards them to greet the newcomers, Hephaestion's father was puzzled because his son didn't seem to be happy to be there, especially when he knew how much Hephaestion looked up to Aristotle.

The blond boy caught the brunette between his arms and hugged him tight as if he had recovered a long lost treasure. Hephaestion, being a bit taller, bent his head and his nose hid in the prince's golden tresses; he breathed deeply and his nostrils were invaded by a strange essence of sun and sandalwood and an extra smell that seemed to be just Alexander's. At that moment, Hephaestion felt a searing pain in his right hand again and his eyes looked downwards and saw, to his astonishment, the red thread coming out of his little finger again and growing, once more, towards the prince. He took a step backwards and their threads stretched but they didn't touch.

Alexander looked at him with confusion in his eyes and with a bit of pain too because his friend was not as happy as he was to meet each other again. Both boys felt restless so Hephaestion decided to go and set his things on the assigned chamber. To his horror and delight, he had to share a room with the prince. It was a very sleepless night.

The first day Aristotle told them that there would not be classes, letting some of the young companions settle down and giving them the opportunity to know each other better in a more relaxed way.

Cassander saw with despair how his nemesis still held the prince's heart in his hands and what was worse was that the brunette did not realize of that evident fact or the power he already had on the prince.

Being around Alexander these last six months had been a living torture, the blond missed his "friend of three days" as if he had known him forever and he was always saying things like "Hephaestion would have liked that" or "Hephaestion would have done this or said that". The other brunette was fed up of listening to Hephaestion's name whenever Alexander opened his mouth and he was determined to take the bull by its horns. Time would teach him that fate could never be forced or twisted.

That second night, when the candles were out and silence was the only sound around, Hephaestion dared to look at his hand and, with the help of a moonlight ray; he saw that his thread was quite longer than it had been the day before. It was also moving towards Alexander and his was coming towards Hephaestion's. Both threads were coming nearer and nearer and Hephaestion saw fascinated as some of the plies started to entangle until all of them formed only one thread, thin but unique. At the exact moment when the last ply entered the thread, Alexander gave a deep gasp in his sleep and woke up suddenly, grabbing his left hand and cradling it against his chest while breathing with effort. His two coloured eyes were wide open and looking everywhere as if he were trying to discover the hidden attacker.

He looked towards Hephaestion who was already getting up from his bed in order to see what was happening to the prince. He sat next to him and seeing the hand still onto his royal chest, the brunette took the left hand to inspect it but he could not see anything out of place, except the red thread.

"Alexander, what's wrong?" Hephaestion asked with concern in his voice.

"My hand hurts but I don't want to look at it. Is there any snake in here?" the boy whispered.

"No, I haven't seen any but why do you ask something like that?" Hephaestion asked curiously.

"Because my hand hurts as if a snake had bitten my little finger" Alexander explained, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Let me have a look again" Hephaestion said while taking the slightly smaller hand between his once more. "There's nothing" he added.

"Yes, look there, there is a red thing coming out of my little finger" Alexander said a bit worried.

"Can you see the red thread, Alexander?" Hephaestion asked with surprise.

"Of course I can, my eyes may have two different colours but I am not blind" Alexander replied a little upset; it was a common thing people tended to think he could not see well due to his peculiar eyes.

"Of course, sorry but I have never met before anyone who could see them; I have seen those threads all my life but nobody believed me" Hephaestion explained.

"Look, our threads are tied but there is no knot between them, it is like their plies had been knitted together. What does that mean?" Alexander asked while he continued looking at that little miracle.

"I don't know but I have always seen them between couples …" Hephaestion said, whispering his last words.

"Does that mean that we are a couple now?" Alexander asked trying to hide his anxiety and happiness, wishing that it was true, even though they were only eight years old.

"I don't think so; you are the heir to the Macedonian throne and I am simply Hephaestion" the brunette said trying to mask his sadness.

"And what is the problem with that?" Alexander asked without understanding the implication of his friend's statement.

"Well, to begin with, you already have a girlfriend and a marriage promise to obey; you also need to marry a woman who can give you children who will inherit your empire …"

Hephaestion was suddenly interrupted by the prince's eagerness

"Do you really think that I will build an empire?"

"I have no doubt, it will be the biggest empire of all times and you will be great and well-known and also remembered for years to come like the brave Achilles …" the brunette was interrupted again by a serious prince.

"So if that is my destiny, to follow my hero's footsteps, may I ask you to be my Patroclus to walk together, side by side, and make our dreams come true?" Alexander whispered, holding his breath until he was given an answer.

"You have my word … I will follow you wherever you go, even up to the end of the world and back" Hephaestion promised.

And after that heartfelt promise both boys saw how the red thread become a bit thicker than it was before.

From that moment on, both boys shared everything … their lessons, their training, their dreams, in just a simple word, … life, and they saw how their thread got thicker and longer; it stretched when they were apart but it immediately shortened as soon as they were close again.

The thread was like a sentient thing, full of life. It was not common or frequent to see both friends mad at each other but when the rare occasion arose, they realized that the thread got entangled and it remained like that until they solved their differences.

When both young men entered into battle, the thread got thicker when any of them were in peril as if through their bond they could send that extra thing that kept them stronger and out of danger.

The thread acquired a throbbing beat when both youths discovered that they needed to take their friendship to another and higher level. They realized that the nerves they felt when they were in each other's presence were due to a deep longing for each other. They started their mutual exploration and it ended in a deep and loving union of souls, minds and bodies.

They enjoyed long walks under the sun, followed by energetic swimming in the lake and most of their days ended with a slow and tender lovemaking. Alexander and Hephaestion explored their partner's body with caresses, tiny bites and numerous and memorable hot kisses that left them breathless with kiss-swollen lips and many love bites.

The thread got thicker and stronger with every time they made love because, in that way, they deepened and reinforced their already strong relationship.

However, Hephaestion was aware that their relationship would not remain like that forever; Alexander had to take control of the kingdom after his father's murder and he was forced to grow up faster, leaving aside some of his most romantic ideas and dreams.

Hephaestion, being always the steadfast friend, understood the situation well but that didn't mean that he was not affected by it. The blue-eyed soldier saw with despair how their thread, on Alexander's end, appeared to have some loose plies, as if it were about to fray any time soon. The king was about to take a wife who would give him an heir for the empire he was building; Hephaestion sadly realized that the so feared time had come, Alexander would have to spend time with his wife and Hephaestion would be left aside, to live a half life, because the best part of him would be busy with another person.

However, Alexander was too much in love with his handsome General to let him go so he quickly saw how Hephaestion tried to step aside before he was asked to do it. Alexander felt his heart shrink when he realized that Hephaestion had thought so little of him. The king could not understand why Hephaestion thought that he would leave him when the brunette was his life partner, his soul mate, the keeper of his heart … simply his everything.

So the king showed his brunette lover how much he was loved in every moment it was possible and through the tinniest gestures: the sweetest apples appeared on Hephaestion's desk; the lingering touch of their fingers when handing him something; the hooded looks during their morning meetings or quick but tender kisses stolen whenever they bumped into each other in a solitaire hall.

Alexander was very careful to spend every possible night with his lover; he was so used to sleep curled up next to him that he remained awake and restless when the brunette was not sharing their bed.

Their red thread stretched, entangled, got thinner or frayed but it was never cut or shorn.

But when Hephaestion got ill, the thread, contrary to all the previous occasions, got so thin and weak that Alexander was truly afraid because he did not want to accept that Hephaestion's life was escaping from his hands and he could do nothing to stop it.

The last plies of the red thread on Hephaestion's end were severed one cloudy afternoon in Ecbatana and Alexander felt so lonely and heartbroken that he did not want to go on living when his beloved was no longer in the world.

Alexander saw how the thread started to shorten and he was worried that it would disappear completely, leaving him without that signal of love too, but it didn't, it remained visible, shorter but still present and that was what gave the broken king some hope.

But Alexander never got over from Hephaestion's demise; he became reckless and started to live faster and dangerously as if his only aim in life was to join his lover in death, sooner than it was supposed to.

Eight months later, Babylon, one of the most luxurious cities of the vast Macedonian empire was the witness of the last battle fought by the great king, the only battle he didn't fight with nails and teeth to win it because, by losing it, he would finally be reunited with his so much missed beloved.

At the same time that the life force was abandoning the weaken royal body, the thread started to grow and pulse again, faintly in the beginning but it became stronger and steady with each passing minute, so loud that Alexander could only listen to its beating while his ears remained deaf to the rest of the noise inside the chamber.

Alexander's eyes, still clouded by the fever, saw a silver thread coming towards him and his hopes rose because his own thread, this time golden, started to grow faster in order to get closer to the silver one.

Both extremes got together and a new thread, silver and golden was knitted tightly. When the final plies got together, Alexander opened his eyes for the last time and, looking at every person who was there with him, he smiled at them and then followed the thread that took him back to his always waiting beloved.

Hephaestion smiled widely as soon as Alexander appeared by his side and a new thread, stronger and this time everlasting, was born; a thread that would tie their hearts forever and one day more.

Finis

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Author's note: Here is the explanation for the legend, which in this case, was altered to fix their universe and create an original story.

The red string of fate, also referred to as the red thread of destiny, red thread of fate, and other variants, is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese legend and is also used in Japanese legend. According to this myth, the gods tie an invisible red string around the ankles of those that are destined to meet each other in a certain situation or help each other in a certain way. Often, in Japanese culture, it is thought to be tied around the little finger. According to Chinese legend, the deity in charge of "the red thread" is believed to be Yuè Xià Lǎo (月下老, often abbreviated to "Yuèlǎo" [月老]), the old lunar matchmaker god who is also in charge of marriages.

The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of time, place, or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the Western concept of soulmates or a twin flame.


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